Teaching & Learning with ICPSR

Exercise 2: Social Change

Now it is time to expand your investigation. In a New York Times review of Putnam's book, Margaret Talbot wrote, "Within months, the 'Bowling Alone' thesis had
generated an enormous amount of attention, and almost as much agreement. . . . Before long, though, a backlash set in, and Putnam's data began to take a beating, especially from
other social scientists and pollsters."

Is community really declining in America?

This exercise will introduce you to the critique of Putnam's argument about social change in America and teach you how to produce and interpret line charts and how to recode
variables in SDA.